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Best software for logging build progress?

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pequeajim

Joined: 03 Sep 2006
Posts: 708
Location: New Holland, PA

Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 2:30 pm Post subject: Best software for logging build progress?

What is the best software for logging your work building an aircraft? I have heard of KitLog Pro. Is this the best? I also want to be able to publish my progress to the web. 



Jim!

akflyer

Joined: 07 May 2007
Posts: 574
Location: Soldotna AK

Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 3:36 pm Post subject: Re: Best software for logging build progress?

I have kitlog pro and while it is ok, I was wondering if there was something out there that was better..  I dont have any real complaints, other than you can only put in 3 pics per task.. It just means you have to add more tasks.  All in all it is not too bad to work with, but I have found that while I am very good about taking lots of pics on about every step, I am not good about logging the step till much later on.. you can almost spend as much time logging as you do building.

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Leonard Perry aka SNAKE
Soldotna AK
Avid "C" / Mk IV
582 (147 hrs and counting on the rebuild)
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Float Flyr

Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland

Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 5:18 pm Post subject: Best software for logging build progress?

Why not keep it simple an use either MS Word or  WordPerfect?  Both processors allow you to save layouts and add pictures to  your heart's content.  I think both will publish to a web page  too.



 

[img]cid:062551701(at)27052007-2DEB[/img]  

 Noel Loveys, RPP, AME intern

 Campbellton, Newfoundland, 

 Canada

 Kitfox Mod III-A, 582, B box, Ivo IFA

 Aerocet 1100s

 noelloveys(at)yahoo.ca (noelloveys(at)yahoo.ca)

 

 

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marin

Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 16
Location: Stanwood WA

Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 7:32 pm Post subject: Best software for logging build progress?

There is a free site at Expercraft that you can use. It is not bad and will

keep the files on the web for you and you can print out a log for your

records. The only draw back it you can not keep a log on your computer. 



www.expercraft.com/



 

Marin Streeter



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Marin

wingnut

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 356

Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 2:27 pm Post subject: Re: Best software for logging build progress?

Hey guys. I write software for a living. I might be interested in taking a stab at writing something if I could get good details on what people would want such a program to actually do for them.



Luis Rodriguez

824KF

kirkhull(at)kc.rr.com
Guest

Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 3:56 pm Post subject: Best software for logging build progress?

I would start with a simple d base that holds the text logs of what was done

then dates it and stores it with the pictures of what was done.  Then add

more features from there

--

Bob

Joined: 24 Oct 2006
Posts: 89
Location: Damascus, Maryland, USA

Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:00 am Post subject: Re: Best software for logging build progress?

Sorry to be responding so late, but work has been a bit crazy of late.

I made my own in Excel, with columns for date, construction page number, category of work, major airplane group (WING L versus WING R, etc), Vendor name, cost, and text for the actual tasks done.  Photos can be either linked or imported.  Excel can sort by any of the categories, total times, total prices, etc.

If I ever get home and get a chance, I'll attach a copy, but it's simple enough that anybody could recreate it. 

Bob

Series 5 Vixen in-work (when home, when the teens and wife aren't pressing...)

Damascus, Md

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kitfoxmike

Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Posts: 373

Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:42 am Post subject: Re: Best software for logging build progress?

I think the best software is basically nothing.  Well, I keep photo's in my desktop file under 287RV folder.  I keep any visits I get from various people looking at my work.  I have sub folders for various things I want to add or delete on the project.  If there are ideas I want to do on the project than that gets a folder with  my specs and what parts I want to use.  I don't keep track of the hours I spend on my project, for one, it would probably get me depressed.  Also I just don't have the time, would rather spend it on the project.  THe FAA justs want to make sure that YOU built the plane, so pics need to have YOU in the pics with different stages of the project. I will add, that I do something on the project at least once a day, even if it's getting an understanding of the the thing I want to do.  Sometimes I have 5 things going at once, if I get stumped on one item, I leave it alone and go to another.  Eventually all five are done and I start another.  Very hard to document time spent when you are doing this. 



Just to let you know how fast this RV is getting done, I started last November and I just ordered the finish kit, this is a slow build project.  I think I'm pretty much ready to start painting. Oh, one more thing, I fly every day, sometimes twice a day.  Life is great.

Bob

Joined: 24 Oct 2006
Posts: 89
Location: Damascus, Maryland, USA

Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 3:33 pm Post subject: Re: Best software for logging build progress?

Attached is the Excel file with two posts as example entries.  I must say, though, that as Mike mentioned, I have a manila folder in the shop and keep a paper printout of this Excel file in that.  It really isn't often that I update the computer from what I mark on the printout.

Bob

Build log Checkswrecks.xls

Description:

Sample of using Excel for a kitbuilding log

Download

Filename:

Build log Checkswrecks.xls

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dan(at)azshowersolutions.
Guest

Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 5:01 pm Post subject: Best software for logging build progress?

Some people enjoy the build process as much as the flying and for the RV crowd, there are many published web sites available. Before I got my Kitfox and started building, I nearly went with an RV-7. I was somewhat dissapointed when I started looking around for Kitfox builder sites...they are few and far between and I have never understood it. In my opinion, doing a builders site is a great way to promote the Kit and allow others who might be interested to see how you are doing a particular task. This is how I became interested in the RV's as there were many sites available. I remember how I would spend hours looking over many of those sites intrigued as to how things were done. It proved to me that building a plane really wasn't like brain surgery or rocket science. This is how I came to the decision of building instead of buying an ole spam can. 

  I would encourage anyone who is building a Kitfox to entertain the idea of doing a build site. Yea, it  takes a bit of time...but it promotes OUR birds. The method...When I started building, I was using Kitlog Pro...but it was limiting as someone else has mentioned. I ended up using the web site tool that Yahoo has. It is free to download but you will need to pay for web space from somewhere, so I set things up w/ them. Other methods that have been mentioned such as doing it on MS Word or Excell could work well also. The name of the game is enjoy it.

  Dan Billingsley

  Mesa, AZ

  Kitfox-IV, 912s, N314DW

  Building   http://www.azshowersolutions.com/Kitfox1.html



kitfoxmike <customtrans(at)qwest.net> wrote:

  [quote]--> Kitfox-List message posted by: "kitfoxmike" 



I think the best software is basically nothing.  Well, I keep photo's in my desktop file under 287RV folder. I keep any visits I get from various people looking at my work. I have sub folders for various things I want to add or delete on the project. If there are ideas I want to do on the project than that gets a folder with my specs and what parts I want to use. I don't keep track of the hours I spend on my project, for one, it would probably get me depressed. Also I just don't have the time, would rather spend it on the project. THe FAA justs want to make sure that YOU built the plane, so pics need to have YOU in the pics with different stages of the project. I will add, that I do something on the project at least once a day, even if it's getting an understanding of the the thing I want to do. Sometimes I have 5 things going at once, if I get stumped on one item, I leave it alone and go to another. Eventually all five are done and I start another. Very hard to do!

cument time spent when you are doing this. [quote][b]

kitfoxmike

Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Posts: 373

Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 5:43 pm Post subject: Re: Best software for logging build progress?

I will agree, the kitfox sites are nil to non.  Still to be able to make a site and keep it current is a lot of work.  Maybe not for the person that builds the kit in 6 to 9 years.  But if a person is trying to get it done and spending all the time he can on it, the builder site takes a back seat.  I will admit the builder sites for the RV7 is an absolute help.  To see a picture of something that you are having a problem with or just to justify a cut or drill a hole before doing it, is realy nice to be able to do.  I have to admit that I feel spoiled because I will have the best of both worlds, the fox and an RV.

kentk

Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 25
Location: College Station

Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 6:14 pm Post subject: Re: Best software for logging build progress?

I can share my Excel spreadsheet that I basically grabbed from a Velocity builder and modified to use for my Kitfox.  Some of the empty fields contain the original formulas, but I don't think that they work with they way I am using the fields, so I overwrite them with static data.

Buildlog.xls

Description:

Excel Buildlog

Download

Filename:

Buildlog.xls

Filesize:

86 KB

Downloaded:

496 Time(s)

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K-IV 1200 / no engine / 25% done

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